Fascinating books kids will devour

It states: “A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which everyone who passes leaves an impression.”

Children are eager to learn about everything, and as the proverb says, the people they come in contact with will leave an impression. So, too, the child’s life experiences will leave impressions, and that includes being exposed to great books that in one way or another change the child.

It may be that the book offers factual knowledge, or conveys a sense of empathy and compassion, or subtly provides tidbits of wisdom for life’s journey. That makes sense. After all, the more children learn about the world around them, the better equipped they are to not only understand the world but to gain greater and greater control of their lives.

That is the gift that knowledge brings to each of us. Measure your words and actions to ensure that the impression you leave on a child’s life is positive, and expand the child’s wealth of knowledge and understanding through reading great books together and lots of shared conversation. These seemingly small gifts are powerfully great in more ways than one can measure.

Books to borrow

The following book is available at many public libraries.

“The Quilt” by Gary Paulsen, Wendy Lamb Books/Random House, 83 pages. In rural Minnesota in 1944, a 6-year-old boy is spending the summer with his strong and loving grandmother, Alida. The men have gone off to fight in the war, leaving the women behind to run the farms. The boy helps as much as he can, but when he and his grandmother are called to his cousin’s farm to help with the birth of her first born, there is little that he can do. Women quickly fill the house. All have come to help, and while they wait for the baby to come, the women work on the quilt – the quilt of the boy’s family. Each patchwork holds a story, and as they share the stories with one another, the boy learns about love and sadness, sorrow and joy, death and new life. Beautifully rendered, this tender novel speaks quietly of what is most important in life.

“20 Questions: Why Do Feet Smell? And 20 answers about the human body” by Gilda & Melvin Berger, photos various sources, Scholastic, 2012, 48 pages, $4.99 paperback. Read aloud: age 5 and older. Read yourself: age 6 – 7 and older. Twenty interesting questions and answers about the human body are found in this gem of a book and are certain to fascinate kids. Included are questions/answers to “Why do noses run?” “Are yawns contagious?" "What gives you goose bumps?” “Why does skin wrinkle in water?” and much more. This no-nonsense approach to answering questions kids have about the human body is further enhanced with color photographs on every page, making this selection spot-on.

“Wolves” by Laura Marsh, photos various credits, National Geographic Kids, 2012, 32 pages, $3.99 paperback. Read aloud: age 4 and older. Read yourself: age 6 – 7 and older. Perfect for both newly independent readers and for younger kids who can’t yet read on their own, this informative, fascinating book takes readers/listeners on an exploration of wolves. Explaining such subjects as where and how wolves live, how wolves and dogs are related, how wolves communicate with one another, raising wolf pups and more, kids will emerge from this book with new-found knowledge.

Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children’s literature. She can be reached at her website: greatestbooksforkids.com.